Right after we drop our bags off at the hotel, we’re heading down the famed Route 66 towards Winslow to see a giant crater created by a meteor crashing down to Earth at over 25,000 miles an hour some 50,000 years ago. Hmm, let me see, where was I when this happened? Never mind, to even see the outcome of this in this lifetime is a bonus in and of itself and enough to set my imagination ablaze (literally!).

Just off Interstate 40, we turn off the main highway onto a desert road that seems to stretch on for miles. The wind is SO strong up there that the minute we open the car door, the wind grabs it and tears it open, seeming to almost bend the door hinges backwards. How rude!!

So then, it comes as no surprise that a wind this strong would lend wings, and the permission, to my hat to go skimming down the parking lot and me sprinting after it. Think what would happen to some unfortunate person wearing a toupee, seriously!

Okay, so the crater is like this giant stadium – one mile (1.6km) across, 2.4 miles (3.82km) all the way around and 550 feet (167m) deep. Conversions drive me nuts! No idea how to gauge anything using metrics, pffft! Anyways, as you can see, this picture shows only a small part of it. This is the stuff of sci-fi movies!!

When we get out to the viewing platform fringing a section of the crater close to the admin building, we’re literally blown away again, turning our knuckles blue clutching our cellphones, hats and cameras in one hand, and clinging on for dear life to the railings with the other.

Basically it doesn’t matter what you’re holding or wearing, it’s in dire danger of flying off. We couldn’t even steady ourselves to get as many good pictures as we would’ve liked. And frankly, I have no idea why people would wear billowing maxi skirts and flip-flops when traveling and/or visiting unfamiliar places but yeah!

The wind gets even crazier as we ascend the steps to another viewing platform on a higher tier. Wow, that wind! and to think that’s only like 50 miles an hour. Now when I read about the recent hurricanes whipping up wind speeds of 150+ miles an hour, I can only shake my head and be totally mind-blown!!!